Most Valuable Player
by THEClubAtlantis
Summary: Charlotte Flair, coach of the universty basketball team, is on the verge of losing her star player until she takes "drastic" measures to keep him.


**Chapter X – Most Valuable Player**

**Raleigh, North Carolina**

**William Peace University**

Charlotte had no idea of the pain that was firing from her star player's elbow-to-his-wrist as he came down from his final dunk.

As the ball bounced off his neck-length dreadlocks, he grabbed his knees, panting for air.

"Tired?" Charlotte asked him as she caught the ball.

He shook his head. "I don't get tired." He lied. The same words he'd always say each practice. The mindset of being relentless was a mantra he spoke into existence all the time.

"Free throws." Calling out the next drill.

Her star player, took a deep breathe, stood up straight and carefully set his feet behind the free throw line.

He said nothing. He didn't complain. He didn't grunt. He simply took a step forward, angled his off-foot and opened his hands, ready to fire his first shot.

Charlotte took a second to just absorb what she was looking at. Tall, dark and handsome, just like the fairy-tales she'd been told growing up. He had almond-brown skin slick with sweat, maple-brown eyes sharp like a sniper's a clean-shaven baby-face like a boy-band pop star, titanic shoulders and stood shirtless in front of her.

"Prince?" She called his name after taking one dribble. "Do you understand why you're still here and the others went home an hour ago?"

Prince inhaled, "Because you told me to stay behind for a private workout, coach." He panted. "Every practice."

Charlotte paused. "You never questioned why?"

Prince shrugged. "If I did…would it matter? You asked me to practice more, so I did. To help the team, I guess."

Charlotte admitted, "Well, you're the best player on the team. I need you to be here to set a better example for the other guys on the team."

Prince paused, "But if I'm the best player isn't that example enough, coach?"

Charlotte thought, "I want you here because…I need you to be in better shape to finish games."

"Better shape, coach?" Prince looked at Charlotte like she had two heads. Prince's cardio was legendary. He rarely got winded during practice or games. Her asking him to be more in-shape made no sense.

"You wanna improve, right?" Charlotte smiled passing him the ball. "I know you're the best on the team but you do want to improve for when we play against higher division schools."

Prince chuckled, "If you say so." Catching the ball and sinking his first free throw. He was exhausted from the grind of the day. Classes, weight room, practice, film session and each day Coach Charlotte found a way to keep Prince out of study hall after dinner so he would back to the arena for private skills training.

(Why me?) Prince wondered at first.

Larrell and Trey were free to study and chase the skirt of every snowbunny imaginable on the campus while Carlito spent extra time mastering his espanol and practicing on the Latinas while Prince produced buckets of sweat for Coach Charlotte nearly every day.

Didn't she have a life? A boyfriend? Husband? Girlfriend? Puppy at home? Anything? Prince wondered.

"Cool down." Charlotte announced after he sank his final foul shot. "Let's stretch and call it a night."

As Prince stretched his quads, Charlotte smiled, "I think you can shoot over 40% from three this season." Her eyes rolling down his powerful calves and arms. Even covered in sweat, he looked delightful.

"Okay." Prince nodded.

"I think your balance and flexibility has improved from the Steve Nash film we've been looking at."

"Yeah," Prince agreed. "It definitely has."

Charlotte took a deep breath. "There's something else I need to talk to you about." She paused as she took a step closer to him. "I overheard this but…I think you know what I'm going to ask you about."

Prince exhaled, "The transfer?"

Charlotte nodded. "I overheard that you're transferring to Chapel Hill."

Prince inhaled, "Yeah, they have one of the best teams and the Coach has connections to the league."

Charlotte placed a hand on Prince's shoulder, "You're an All-American. I can't afford to lose you."

Prince exhaled.

"In order for you to transfer," Charlotte reminded Prince, "You have to get a release from me."

Prince thought. "I thought you wanted me to better myself and make the best choices for myself."

"I do." Charlotte replied. "But this is business, Prince. I care about you, not just as an athlete," stepping closer to him, "but as a person too."

"Soooo," Prince shrugged, "You'll sign the release."

Charlotte glanced over her shoulder and exhaled, "Let's step into my-" she almost said office but took note of the time. It'd gotten late quickly. "The building's closing soon. Shower up and meet me in the parking lot."

After locking up the gym, Charlotte sat in her classic Camaro that she'd inherited from her father.

Prince's not-yet-signed release form sat on the dashboard. She stared at it while she waited for him.

The moment he climbed into the car, she left the parking garage before a word could be said.

Prince surveyed the area. They'd driven a few miles north of the campus and his dormitory room. Where were they? Was this the part in Goodfellas where Tommy took a bullet in the back of the head before becoming a made man?

Prince glanced at the release form in front of him and turned to his coach, "I don't understand about this release business."

Charlotte said nothing. She looked at his sharply-chiseled muscles in the mirror. All he wore was an Aaliyah tanktop. His favorite voice to listen to while showered. Aaliyah, Ariana Grande and Gwen Stefani's voices always echoed through the locker room as he and Larrell sang along after practice.

(I'm going to miss that.) Charlotte admitted. (What if Prince leaving causes a domino effect?

What if after he leaves everyone else wants to leave too?) She wondered.

"Coach, what do I need to do to get this release?" He asked.

Charlotte switched off the car and turned to him. "First, tell me, why do you want this release? Are you not happy playing basketball here?"

Prince shook his head, "No, coach, there's nothing wrong with the school. I just wanna play for a winning team. I know how short my career is and I'd like to spend that time competing for a championship."

Charlotte leaned forward, her green eyes like lasers, "I put in a lot of time with you. Spent a lot of time with you and after one season you're an All-American now."

Prince shamefully downcast his eyes, "I know, Coach, but this business." Using her rhetoric against her.

"We put in so much hard work." Charlotte leaned back and exhaled, "I put a lot of time and energy into you and," she paused, "now I feel like I should get something out that too before I actually sign the release to let you go to UNC."

Prince glanced at the release form and defended, "But, you have a winning team now with Rell, Trey and Carlito. It's not like last year when we were all freshmen. They don't need me-"

Charlotte reached across the seat and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're the centerpiece of my offense. If I let you go, I have to start all over. Rewrite the playbook-"

"I mean," Prince consoled as her hand trailed down his shoulder and gently clutched his hand, "the guys will step up. I know they will. Especially-"

"I'm sure," Charlotte suddenly interrupted, "we can work something out." Charlotte smiled at him. "You want me to sign your release, right? You want to transfer, right?"

"You know I do, coach." Prince muttered.

"You'll have a chance at a national championship, Prince." Charlotte added, "I know you don't have that here with me," She admitted, "but once you give me 'my release'," guiding his hand over her already-soaked panties, "then I'll sign yours." She proposed.

Prince glanced at the unsigned release form. He glanced back at his coach wondering what he should do…

**Decision**

**A – **Give Coach a release

**B - **Run


End file.
